46 pages • 1 hour read
My Life with the Chimpanzees
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BetaChapters 1-3Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary
Jane Goodall has been fascinated by animals since the beginning of her life. She recalls observing a chicken laying an egg when she was five years old—she stayed still and was patient, watching the whole process. She describes this as her first serious observation of animal behavior.
Goodall believes that patience is key in learning about animals and has carried the virtue in her career as an ethologist. She is inspired by pioneering ethologist Konrad Lorenz, who is best known for his studies on greylag geese and their behaviors. Lorenz observed their faithfulness to each other and the phenomenon of imprinting, where baby geese follow the first object they see. Other notable ethologists Goodall admires include Karl von Frisch, who discovered the “waggle dance” of honeybees, a behavior that communicates the location of food to other bees, and Niko Tinbergen, who studied seagulls in their natural habitats. While some ethologists conduct experiments, Goodall prefers the method of observation, watching animals in their natural environments to understand their behaviors.
Goodall first began living among the chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1960. The chimpanzees at first were very shy, but living among them, Goodall came to understand their language and way of life. She poses a rhetorical question to introduce the rest of her autobiography, saying, “How on earth, you may wonder, did I get started? I will tell you” (7).
Chapter 2 Summary
Goodall was born in London on April 3, 1934, and lived with her family, her nanny, and a bull terrier named Peggy. When Goodall was five and her sister Judy was one, the family moved to France, but they returned to England when World War II broke out.
The family settled in an old manor house in England where Goodall’s father had grown up. It was next to a farm that had cows, grazing horses, and racehorses belonging to her uncle, Rex. As soon as England declared war on Germany, Goodall’s father joined the army, so Goodall, her mother, and Judy moved in with her grandmother in a house called the Birches, located in Bournemouth on the English coast.
During the war, Goodall attended three different schools but never liked any of them. She preferred weekends when she could go horseback riding and spend time in the garden at the Birches. Her favorite book was The Story of Doctor Dolittle, which inspired her dream of going to Africa. Goodall loved reading about animals from different continents and was particularly fond of The Jungle Book and the Tarzan books by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Goodall spent Saturdays at a riding school, where she enjoyed being near horses and ponies despite disliking the task of cleaning saddles and bridles. She was eventually trusted to take clients out for rides, gaining a lot of free riding time for herself. Goodall also cherished her time with a dog named Rusty, who lived in a nearby hotel. She trained Rusty to perform tricks and learned about animal behavior from him. Rusty taught her that dogs can think, reason, and plan. Rusty, she notes, even had a unique sense of justice.
As Goodall’s school days ended at 18, she pondered what to do next; all she wanted to do was watch and write about animals. She wondered how she could make a living doing what she loved.
Chapter 3 Summary
After finishing school, Goodall spent four months in Cologne, Germany. Her mother believed it was important for Goodall to see that while Hitler and the Nazis were evil, there were ordinary Germans who did not support them. Cologne was heavily bombed during the war, yet the Cologne Cathedral stood undamaged. To Goodall, this seemed like a divine message that goodness ultimately prevails.
Upon returning to London, Goodall earned a secretary’s diploma and secured a job at a clinic where Olly, a physiotherapist, treated children with various ailments like paralyzed limbs, muscular dystrophy, and club feet. This experience taught Goodall to appreciate her health and fortune.
Goodall then moved to Oxford to work as a secretary, living with some graduate students and attending social events. After a year, she returned to London and worked at a film studio. She lived in her father’s flat, as her parents had divorced by then. Despite enjoying her job, Goodall never abandoned her dream of going to Africa. She spent countless hours at the Natural History Museum and continued reading about animals, particularly those from Africa. She knew her job at the film studio was a temporary stop and that her “lucky break” would come.
That opportunity came on a Wednesday morning when Goodall received a letter from a school friend, Clo, inviting her to visit Kenya. Goodall was ecstatic and began to save money for the trip. She took a job as a waitress for four months and saved enough for a round-trip fare to Africa.
Chapters 1-3 Analysis
Jane Goodall’s fascination with animals began in her early childhood. She recalls observing a chicken laying an egg at the age of five, an anecdote that immediately establishes her innate curiosity and patience, characteristics that were helpful in her career. This moment from Goodall’s life spotlights the importance of patience in learning about animals. It also introduces the theme of The Intersection of Personal Passion and Scientific Inquiry, as her early fascination with animals evolved into a lifelong passion. Goodall’s story exemplifies how personal passion can drive scientific inquiry; her detailed childhood observations mark the beginning of her dedication to understanding animal behavior.
Alongside introducing her values in these early chapters, Goodall builds ethos in the text by citing other pioneering ethologists whom she admires like Konrad Lorenz, Karl von Frisch, and Niko Tinbergen. This situates Goodall’s research in the lineage of wildlife studies, discussing how Lorenz’s studies on greylag geese, Von Frisch’s discovery of the “waggle dance” of honeybees, and Tinbergen’s research on seagulls influenced her approach to ethology. Not only does this foreground Goodall’s preference for observing animals in their natural environments over conducting controlled experiments, but it establishes her belief that all animal life is valuable. While she discusses how chimpanzees are humans’ closest animal relatives, she is equally inspired by observations of insects and other species.
Goodall’s early life was marked by a love for nature and animals, a passion shaped by the disruption of World War II. Her family moved to France and then returned to England due to the war, forcing them to relocate multiple times. These disruptions were challenging for young Goodall, but they also fostered her resilience, a trait that served her well in her career. Despite attending three different schools and the chaos of the war, Goodall found solace and consistency in nature. Living near a farm, she developed bonds with various animals, further fueling her passion. Practical experiences with animals, such as training a dog named Rusty, taught her that animals could think, reason, and have a sense of justice, thus shaping her early understanding of animal behavior. She enjoyed horseback riding and reading, particularly The Story of Doctor Dolittle, The Jungle Book, and the Tarzan series, which inspired her dream of going to Africa. These anecdotes about Goodall’s childhood affirm the value of a diverse education rather than simply focusing on schoolwork. This sets the ground for Goodall’s entry into the scientific world despite not having traditional credentials.
Goodall’s focus in these chapters includes other foundational experiences that have less to do with animals. Her time in postwar Germany provided her with a broader perspective on humanity, teaching her to see individuals’ innate goodness beyond political and national boundaries. By including this anecdote, Goodall connects human empathy to her understanding of animals. It also establishes her religious faith, which is a subtle undercurrent in the text. While Cologne was heavily bombed during World War II, the Cathedral remained standing, seemingly untouched. This contrast made a lasting impression on Goodall, symbolizing resilience, hope, and the endurance of goodness amid widespread evil and destruction. Goodall interpreted the Cathedral’s survival as a divine message that goodness ultimately prevails, reinforcing her optimistic outlook on life and her faith in God, which she references occasionally in her narrative.
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